Journeymen Rappers

A tome that explores hip hop and its culture, along with the life, the trials, and the tribulations of artists in Baltimore (primarily) working to get by while also working to share their own vision, their art, with anyone they can reach.

Stepping (but ain’t no half-steppin’) Into the Golden Age of Hip Hop (1986–1987)

Depending on the historian being asked, the Golden Age of Hip Hop ran from 1986/1987 to 1993, or as far as 1999. It is perhaps generally…

Jun 2, 2015

Diving Into The Golden Age of Hip Hop (1988–1990)

In August of 1988, MTV debuted the pilot episode of “Yo! MTV Raps” with Eric B. & Rakim’s video for “Follow the Leader” from the album of…

Jun 10, 2015

Height of the Golden Age of Hip Hop (1991–1993)

1991 proved to be a big year for hip hop with cultural value and significance. Surely the commercial success of MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice…

Jul 27, 2015

Journeymen Rappers

My first, and perhaps most indelible, memories of hip hop are from Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power” and “911 Is A Joke” videos in the late…

May 31, 2015

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Jan 28, 2017

Top Five Music Movies

Readers of this publication will easily agree that music is a crucial element of memory and plays a role in how we not only enjoy life but how we remember it. Popular culture ties a very visible thread to the memories that we as a society share and, depending on our coming of age period…

Nov 11, 2016

Top Five Hammer References By Jay Z

It is often said that you should not kick a man when he is down, but Jay Z does not think that applies to (no more MC please) Hammer. Not Arm & Hammer, which Mr. Sean Carter name-drops repeatedly, but the parachute pants legend. In this Top Five list, however, I…

Jan 4, 2016

Top Five (which happen to be) Female Emcees

The G.O.A.T. discussion is consistently dominated by rappers who happen to be male. It borders on awful to, in 2016, separate the female emcees into their own list, but rather than let some of the great (which happen to be) women be denied their due…

Dec 9, 2015

Top Five Clique Rappers Who Rode Their Crew To Fame

Continuing a run of reasonably amusing variations on the top five discussion that is so crucial to hip hop, let us run down the five emcees who only enjoy recognition because of the clique they claim(ed). This is not a list of top-notch…

Nov 14, 2015

Top Five Hip Hop Producers Who Shouldn’t Rap

Continuing a run of top five lists, here we have the top five producers who arguably should not pick up the microphone.

Nov 13, 2015

Top Five Maybe Not (OK, Totally) Dead Rappers

So many of the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) conversations call for your “top…

Nov 9, 2015

The Birth and Infancy of Hip Hop

On August 11, 1973, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, New York, there was a party. Clive Campbell and…

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Aug 2, 2015

The Art of War, or, The Calculus of the Diss Track

The most electrifying times in hip hop are when emcees take to the booth to lay down verses going after their rivals. It feels like these intentionally public airings-out happen about as often as a really good election season, when it is time…